Community Corner

Tuesday is a Spare the Air Day: Second Consecutive Alert

After a relatively cool summer, the first back-to-back alert of the season has been called.

With high temperatures continuing, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has called a Spare the Air Day for Tuesday.  It is the sixth such alert in the Bay Area this summer season.

Air quality in the Bay Area is forecast to be unhealthy and the air district encourages residents to drive less and reduce their energy use every day so pollution levels are lower.

"Tomorrow, we are again forecasting unhealthy concentrations of smog,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the air district. 

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“With temperatures continuing to run high, it’s more important than ever that residents drive less, take public transportation, reduce energy use and do their part to minimize pollution."

Temperatures are predicted in the 90 degrees in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills on Tuesday.

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Motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, industrial emissions and household chemicals contain volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides that combine with oxygen in the presence of heat and sunlight to form ground-level ozone.

The air district suggested some steps to reduce emissions:

·   Bike to work or around town
·   Take public transit
·   Work at home or telecommute
·   Carpool and link your errands to reduce driving
·   Avoid using gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers
·   Reduce household energy use
·   Don’t use lighter fluid on the barbecue
·   Avoid using aerosol spray cleaners, paints and hairspray

There is no free transit to accompany the Spare the Air alert. There is also no wood burning ban in place.

To plan your commute by alternative modes, visit 511.org.
 

Visit the Apple App Store to download the free Spare the Air iPhone application for alert notifications, local air quality forecasts, podcasts and several tools to help reduce air pollution like the aforementioned bike route mapper.

To monitor current air quality conditions, visit sparetheair.org.


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